HIV TB Elimination Project (HTEP) repurposes substantial funding for testing for COVID 19 in OECS independent countries.

July 8,  2020 – The HIV TB Elimination Project (HTEP) of the Health Unit of the OECS Commission working in collaboration with the OECS Regional Coordinating Mechanism (RCM), secured USD 356,000 from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to support 6 OECS Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) to ramp up their testing for COVID-19. These funds will allow the region to conduct 7,800 COVID-19 tests.

Identifying, isolating and preventing people infected with COVID-19 from further spreading the infection is key to helping OECS member states prevent the impact of the disease and the additional social and economic devastation of economies as they re-open their borders. In order to achieve this, Member States need to scale up COVID-19 tests in the short and medium term.

Grant funds are part of USD 500 million that the Global Fund has made available to all recipients of its grants to use in their COVID-19 responses.  HTEP submitted reprogramming requests and proposals for USD 356,000.  USD255,245 of these funds are immediately available to the OECS, while the remainder will become available once the Global Fund is able to secure additional funds.

Editor’s Note 

The HIV/TB Elimination Project is one of the projects managed by the Health Unit of the OECS Commission. It is a 3 year continuation grant from the Global Fund for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2022. It is The OECS Multi-country Strategic Response Towards HIV/TB elimination and focuses on reducing new HIV infections, eliminating TB and ensuring that key populations have equitable and sustained access to quality services. The total value of the grant is USD 3,655,000 and 6 OECS countries, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines benefit from its implementation.

The Regional Coordinating Mechanism is the oversight body for monitoring the implementation of the HTEP.